I suggest considering the shapes of the plants, and overall foliage colors as part of your process. Most of ones you listed are more mounded in shape or looser shape. Include some plants with contrasting foliage or more upright, such as 'Bluepoint' juniper. Consider fine foliage again larger leaf for max impact. Pyracantha is known to have some disease issues in the PNW so check on the variety prior to buying. The cotinus has great fall color, agreed. If there is not too much reflected sun, a Japanese maple will give you great fall color. Lots of choices in terms of size/ shapes in this species. Best, Joanna

how big is the spot you have ... how about a pic.. whats the plan???? do keep in mind... that even things that are called dwarfs .. do not stop growing at some magical height .... the term is used to describe the annual growth rate .. which is slower than other plants in the same family .. but they will just keep chugging away.. over the years ... ken

I do know of some shrubs that are frequently seen down there, but i will quickly reveal the limitations of said knowledge: What's more, selecting plants for any given job should not be done this way! Still, a few that I really liked seeing down in S. Florida were: beauty bush or Callicarpus-simply stunning in fruit, wild coffee-Psychotria nervosa-another good native plant, sea grape-the botanical name escapes me at the moment, but that's another cool native shrub/small tree. Maybe Salicaceae will chime in and give you a whole lot more to chew on. Not sure if he frequents this board or not. +oM

My unpruned Quickfire at 8 years old is between 6' and 7' tall and wide. It grew to about 5' quickly, in perhaps 4 or 5 years from a rooted cutting, and since then has been slower, but still getting a bit taller. Little QF is smaller. My H. paniculata cultivars grow in literally all day sun, from when the sun comes over the top of trees a ways to the east until it disappears behind the trees to the west. In midsummer this is most likely something like 14 hours of sun.